Sophie's World
by Jostein Gaarder
A novel that is also a history of Western philosophy, from the pre-Socratics to Sartre, delivered by mysterious letters to a teenage girl. Clever device; the philosophy is the point.
Read it if…
you want a painless tour of philosophy.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want a novel first; the story is thin.
Try instead: Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations →
Three things you will actually use
- Wonder is where philosophy starts.
- Every age asks the same questions.
- Keep asking.
Do this first
Read the Socrates chapter.
Our verdict
Philosophy as a novel.
See the book →
Compare with other Character books
Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations
Jules Evans · Character
Ancient schools, applied.
CLICK TO SEE
Browse all Character book reviews or get the free Reality Code Cheat Sheet.
As an Amazon Associate, WisdomDeck earns from qualifying purchases. Links marked “Click to see” go to Amazon. We are not paid for opinions, prices and availability are not shown here and change on Amazon, and we never see your purchase details. Nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice.